They are part of the team at the European Space Research and Technology Center (ESTEC), the agency's main research hub, where about 3,200 staff develop satellites and missions from concept to launch.  

Estonia joined the ESA in 2015. The agency serves as Europe's multinational counterpart to NASA and other countries' national space agencies, with its ESTEC center, located just north of The Hague, focused on satellite design, development and testing.

Among its staff is contracts manager Anna Reinsoo, who says her role helps bring engineers' ideas to life.

"I ended up here completely by chance," she said, noting she was sought out and hired even before Estonia had joined the agency. "I was the first Estonian here, and many of my colleagues had never met one before."

Reinsoo, now 14 years into the job, helps ensure every project clears all the necessary legal hurdles before moving forward.

"No hardware or software goes into development without going through procurement and signing the right contracts," she said.

She is currently working on a fast-track mission expected to launch around 2030, though she noted some projects last so long that colleagues retire before they can personally see the results.

Estonia's future first astronaut?

Another Estonian at the center, Maris Tali, focuses on testing equipment for the harsh conditions of space, particularly how radiation affects satellite electronics.

She has also come close to becoming an astronaut.

"I made it into the final 100 out of 23,000 applicants," Tali said, adding she would need to wait for the next selection round to try again. "They selected 11 reserve astronauts and seven career astronauts. That's enough for now."

For her, the appeal of space remains clear.

"It's an unexplored frontier," Tali said. "Something we can do for humanity, to discover new things and go where we haven't gone before."

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